


Fourth and Down

by Katieb161



Series: Love and the Game [4]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Sports, Fluff and Angst, Mild Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-31
Updated: 2018-09-03
Packaged: 2019-07-05 01:18:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 20,518
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15853296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katieb161/pseuds/Katieb161
Summary: This is the final installment of my Westallen Sports AU.It is recommended that you read Touchdown, Halftime and Delay of Game as this is the end to that series.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to everyone who has been invested in this series. It had been a pleasure to write again and for you all especially. Hope you enjoy!

Barry awoke to the sounds of the rain pattering down on his bedroom window. He opened his eyes and looked at the other side of the bed. There his wife was sleeping peacfully. He smiled just looking at her. Thinking about how much he loved her and how he couldn't wait to meet his babies. In that headspace, everything was good. There was a split second that he forgot why he was even at home and not at training camp.

**3 days earlier**

  
"Please Iris, call Iris," Barry was able to say before he passed out from the pain. He had just taken a hard fall during practice. He laid on the field for a few minutes before he came to, screaming out in pain. The medical staff was able to get him off the field and into the locker room. The began running tests, the whole time Barry wincing in agonizing pain.

It only took Iris 25 minutes to get there. When she finally saw Barry, she rushed to his side, trying not to cry, trying to be strong. She kissed him on his forehead, "It's okay babe, you're going to be okay."

The final diagnosis was a separated shoulder, torn rotator cuff and a labral tear. The team doctors got Barry scheduled for surgery the next morning. In the mean time, they pumped him full of pain pills, put his arm in a sling and sent him home for the night. Iris asked the doctors a million and one questions which Barry was grateful for. The one question that stood out was about recovery time. They thought Barry might be out at least 6 months.

That was a hard one for him to swallow. He had put in so much work in the offseason for nothing. That news put Barry in a bad mood. He let Iris lead him to the car and drive him home. When they got there, all he wanted to do was go to bed. He kissed Iris on the cheek and gave her a quick thank you and headed upstairs.

He decided to take a shower first. As soon as he was in there, and the hot water hit his face, he couldn't hold back the tears anymore. He must not have been quiet enough because soon after he heard the bathroom door open.

"Babe, are you okay?" he heard Iris call out to him.

He got himself together enough to respond back, "I'm good thanks."

"Do you need anything?"

"Um, no, no, I am just going to finish this shower and get in bed."

"Okay babe, I'll be downstairs if you need anything."

"Okay." Barry finished his shower and got in bed, he didn't plan on getting out of it again until he had to.

  
**Present day**

Barry slowly got out of bed. He had his surgery yesterday morning and was glad to be able to go home soon after. He really didn't want to stay at the hospital. It took him some manuvering but he was finally able to get out of bed and make his way to the bathroom. The first thing he did was grab his bottle of painkillers and popped 2. He finished up in the bathroom and walked into the bedroom where he saw his wife was missing.

He made his way downstairs and was surprised to see Iris making breakfast. He sat down at the island watching her in awe. "Good morning Babe! How are you feeling today?" she asked him.

"I'm feeling okay, in a little bit of pain. I took something so I should be okay."

"Aww babe, I'm sorry you're hurting. I wish there was something I could do for you."

"Well, you can start by explaining why you're cooking?"

Iris laughed, "It was supposed to be a surprise for you when you came back from camp but...since I have had all this free time, I have decided to learn how to cook. I've been taking cooking classes at the learning annex." Barry looked at her suspiciously while she continued, "I just figured with two babies coming, it might be a good idea to know how to feed them, and you."

Still a bit skeptical he asked, "So, what are you making?"

"French toast!" she said excitedly. Barry wasn't so sure how this was going to turn out. The last time Iris tried to cook dinner, the kitchen looked like a scene from the walking dead and they ended up ordering take out. He still smiled though, at the thought of his wife trying her best to be good at something she was terrible at.

She sat a cup of coffee in front of Barry. Even if she wasn't that great yet in the kitchen, she could make a mean cup of coffee. She claimed it was from working at Jitters while she was in college, but Barry never remembered getting a cup of coffee from Jitters as good as what Iris would make him. It was just another reason why he loved her so much.

Iris finally finished her french toast and served a plate to Barry. She watched him anxiously while he took the first bite, praying he wouldn't make a face or spit it out. After a few moments of awkward silence he finally spoke. "This is really good Iris."

"Yeah?" she asked hopeful.

"Yeah, it almost tastes as good as you do," he answered with a smirk.

"Good, I'm glad you like it," she turned around, surveying the mess that she made in the kitchen, "You finish up your breakfast, I will clean this kitchen and then we can spend the day on the sofa catching up on 'This is us' and balling our eyes out." She walked over to Barry and gave him a peck.

"Sounds like a plan."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iris starts her new job, Barry PT

Several weeks had passed and it was the beginning of August. Iris had finally started at Hot Copy. She had her own office and an assistant. Maybe leaving CCPN wasn't a bad move. Setting up her desk, she pulled a framed wedding picture out and admired it. Her and Barry looked so happy. She figured that would have to be her favorite day ever, until she had the twins. The next photo to go on the desk were the framed ultrasound pictures.

"Iris, it's so good to see you again," she was shaken from her thoughts by a familiar voice.

"J'onn," she walked over a gave him a hug, "It's great to see you too. This office is something huh?"

"You deserve it. I'm glad to have you aboard. I look forward to working together. If you need anything Iris, please don't hesitate. My office door is always open."

"Thanks J'onn, it means a lot to me."

J'onn nodded his head and walked out of the office. Iris sat down behind her desk and spun around in her chair, she couldn't believe this was her life. She got her composure and called for her assistant to come into the office.

"Jennifer, please have a seat." Iris motioned for her to sit down. "So, I just called you in here to get to know you and for you to get to know me, is that okay?"

Any nervousness Jennifer had instantly went away. Iris was not as intimidating as her reputation suggested. "So tell me about yourself."

"Okay, um, I'm Jennifer Pierce, I grew up in Freeland, I have an older sister, I went to Coast City and graduated with a communications degree, um, I'm single, I love to go out dancing and I have a new puppy."

"Oh, my Alma mater. Is Professor Wagner still putting kids to sleep in English Lit 101?"

"Every year." They both laughed.

"So is this your first real job?"

"I did an internship at the local news station in Coast City my senior year, but this is the first real paying job I've had."

"And where do you see yourself in say 5 years?"

"I want to be on the radio."

"Radio huh? Interesting choice working at a tv show."

"Gotta start somewhere."

Iris was impressed. "Listen, this having an assistant thing is new to me, as is the whole TV thing. So how about we learn this business together. I really don't have any clout right now or anything, but if you can prove to me that you are willing to work for it, I will try to help you with the radio thing. Deal?" Iris held her hand out. Jennifer shook it, "Deal."

 

Barry was finally able to start the physical therapy on his shoulder. He was officially given a 5 month return time after surgery. That meant he would pretty much miss most of the season, and if Roy was playing well, he may not see the field at all. He sat in his car outside of the medical facility where he had his therapy. He was supposed to be taking it easy, but he was constantly doing the exercises trying to get better faster.

He rubbed his shoulder, all of the extra working out was making him sore. He reached into his glove-box and pulled out a medicine bottle. He popped 2 pills, drank half a bottle of water and headed into the building.

When he walked in he was greeted by his therapist John Diggle. Everyone called him Digg. He was talk and muscular, a bit intimidating, but he had a heart of gold. "Barry, what's up man?" Digg dapped him up.

"Ready to get this workout on."

"Well then let's get started."

The session was going well. Digg could tell that Barry was pushing himself too hard. "Okay my man, lets just slow down some. If you push too hard, you will delay your recovery."  
Barry scoffed, "I'm okay, lets just do a few more reps."

"Barry listen, I know that you want to get back out there, but you have to slow down, you don't want to aggravate the injury so soon after surgery."

Barry started to get agitated, "You know what Digg, I know the moves, I can just do them at home." Barry grabbed his towel and water and headed out the door towards the parking lot. When he made it to his car he paused for a minute, a part of him felt bad and wanted to go back inside and apologize. Another part of him yearned to get better as quick as he could. He decided against going back in and got in his car and pulled off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to thank candlelit for the suggestion to introduce Diggle.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iris gets to work on a new story

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading...This story is hopefully going to get really agnsty..

  
Iris decided that her first story was going to be about FDA regulations, especially considering her circumstances. She was going to interview a few other women who became pregnant or had any other health issues related to the birth control recall. She had also lined up interviews with a couple of doctors and the PR rep for the pharmaceutical company that recalled the pills.

J'onn was impressed that she had so much together already with the story. He was surprised to learn that Iris was one of the patients affected by the recall, not knowing that was how she got pregnant. He knew this was going to be one of the better stories on the show already just for the simple fact the journalist had a personal connection to it.

Iris even agreed to go on film. She knew she had the option to wait until after the babies were born, but she felt this was the perfect story to get her sea legs. And she felt that she wouldn't be self conscious because she looked just as a pregnant woman was supposed to look, and it worked for the story.

Barry was supposed to meet her at the office. He hadn't had a chance to see it yet and they had a doctors appointment. They were at the point in the pregnancy where they could learn the genders of the babies if they wanted to. They still hadn't decided if they wanted to know or have it be surprise. When he walked into the building he was greeted and shown to Iris' office. In front of her door, there was a desk where he assumed her assistant worked. She stood up and shook his hand.

"Wow, Barry Allen, I'm Jennifer, Mrs. West-Allen's assistant. It is so cool to meet you. You are like my favorite QB."

Barry smirked, "Thanks, although, I'm not a very good QB right now with my injury," he pointed to his arm.

"I'm sorry about that, but you'll be back, better than ever!"

"I appreciate that Jennifer. Is Iris in her office?"

"Yeah, she was expecting you, go on in."

Barry walked in and took in her office. It was big, really big. There was a large window overlooking the city behind her desk. She had a small sitting area with 2 love seats and a coffee table in the corner. He noticed her sitting there closely with another man. Barry was a bit uncomfortable with how close they were sitting, but brushed it off.

He silently walked closer, half not wanting to disturb them, half wanting to watch them interacting. After a few moments, Iris looked up and saw him standing there. "Hey babe," She stood up and walked towards him placing a kiss on his lips. "How long have you been here?"

"Not long."

"Babe, I want you to meet someone. This is J'onn, he is the associate producer of the show. The one who hired me."

Barry gave him a once over. He was an older man, tall, very handsome. He put his hand out to shake his hand. Barry gripped his hand a little harder than he would normally, almost like to assert dominance or something.

J'onn could sense a little tension and tried to lighten the mood and make an exit. "Well, Mr. Allen, it was nice to finally meet you. You have a real special lady here." Barry's jaw tensed just a little bit. "Well, I have a meeting to get to. Iris, good job again with what you have so far, we'll meet again in a few days to see where we are. Take care Mr. Allen."

As soon as J'onn walked out of the room, Barry turned to Iris, "You guy are on a first name basis already huh?"

Iris looked a bit perplexed at the question, "Yeah, it's pretty informal around here. Barr, are you okay?"

"Yeah, yes, just a bit of soreness in my shoulder today."

"Do you want me to make you a doctors appointment? You have been complaining of that for a while now."

"No, I'm okay. You ready to go?"

"Yeah, let's go."

On the way to the doctors office, they decided they didn't want to know the genders. They weren't even going to do any kind of reveal party, they wanted it to be a surprise during the delivery. They each got their own sonogram pictures of the twins. Iris was able to get a 3rd copy to give to Joe as well.

In the car ride back to the loft, Iris brought up something the wasn't even on his radar. "So I think we should move. I mean I love the loft, it's beautiful and it's the first space that we have shared together, but with two babies coming very soon, I think we need more space. Maybe a yard? And at least 3 bedrooms."

"Sounds like you have been thinking about this for a while?"

"Maybe."

"Well, since I know I am not going to be traded, let's do it, let's buy a house."

Iris was giddy, clapping her hands and squirming around in her seat like a little girl. "Great, I found a few houses that I would love to get a closer look at."

Barry smiled and looked at her, "It sounds like to me you have been doing more than just thinking about this."

"You haven't noticed all the Property Brothers I have been watching recently. Besides, I knew you would say yes." Iris leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

When they pulled up to the loft, Iris got out of the car and made her way inside. Barry told her he needed to check something in the car and would be right up. As soon as Iris was out of view, he pulled out his medicine bottle. He poured the contents into his hand and took the last 2 pills in the bottle. He grabbed his phone and made a call.

"Hey Dr. Lomax, it's Barry Allen...Yeah I'm good for the most part, been having a bit of pain, I think I may have aggravated the injury...yeah I am out of refills, would it be possible to get one more...thanks, same pharmacy right..."


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry continues to deal with the feelings related to his injury. Trigger warning for alcohol/drug use

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading xx

Everyone met up at Joe's house for Sunday dinner. Barry, Iris, Wally, Jesse and Linda were all in attendance. Iris gave Joe the sonogram picture which he promptly put on the fridge. He was so proud of and happy for all his kids, and the group of people in his home truly felt like his kids.

Barry excused himself after a while and walked out onto the front porch. He checked to make sure nobody was watching and popped a few pain killers. He had long since lost any real pain in his shoulder. He had gotten used to the feeling on the pills, and when he hadn't had them in a few hours became agitated and moody.

Just as he was putting the bottle back in his jacket pocket the front door opened and Wally walked out. "Hey Barry, what are you out here doing?"

"Just needed some fresh air."

"Yeah me too. So...I am going to ask Jesse to marry me."

"What? Congrats man," Barry dapped him up into a hug.

"Yeah, I was going to ask her tonight, after we leave here. I'm real nervous man."

"Yeah it can be nerve racking. But if you know that she is the one you want to spend the rest of your life with, all the nerves are worth it. Good luck man."

"Thanks Barry."

  
  
Barry was cleared to slowly start working his way back into his normal workout routine and was excited be able to get back to the team facilities. The season was starting soon. Roy had taken the mantel as the starting QB while Barry was on the injury report. He had shown some promise in the few preseason games that they had. It had Barry a bit worried.

He wanted to get back out there with the rest of the guys and throw the ball around, but throwing was a big no no right now. His medical team advised him that in a few more weeks he could start throwing again. For now, he was sentenced to riding the stationary bike while he watched his teammates running drills and practicing plays.

After practice was over, he was in the locker room getting changed to go home. He again pulled out his pill bottle, realizing that it was empty. He had just gotten a 30 pill refill a week ago and he was already out. Frustrated, he slammed his locker door shut. He turned around to see Oliver standing there.

"You okay bud?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," he answered brashly. When he realized how he sounded he softened, "Yeah Oliver, I'm okay."

"You want to go get a bite to eat, I am starving?" Barry didn't answer, "C'mon man, my treat?"

Barry finally smiled and agreed to go get some food. They got to the restaurant and the first thing Barry ordered was a stiff drink. Oliver took notice at how quickly he drank it and ordered another one. Finally he asked, "Bad day?"

Barry scoffed, "I was so ready for this season, I put in extra work, I had never felt more in shape, and then this happens," he lifted his arm.

"Hey man, I know you're disappointed, but it's not career ending, you'll be back."

"Yeah..."

"Look at it this way, you can spend this time focusing on your kids and not the game. I'm sure Iris is happy to have you around more."

"You haven't seen her new office, that's what's making her happy right now."

"So her new job is going good then?"

"Maybe too good."

"What's that mean?"

"Nothing...nothing, forget I said it."

Oliver looked at him skeptically as the waiter brought their food and another drink for Barry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, don't hate me for taking Barry down this road. I promise it will get better for him. Also, this will probably get updated fast because I want to know how it all ends...lol...
> 
> As always, feel free to leave and comments or story ideas on my tumblr @katieb161


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> B&I start house hunting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading...enjoy!

Barry and Iris spent the day house hunting. Iris could barely contain her excitement. She was happy to be looking for the first home she would share with her husband and children. They had already looked at a few houses, when they pulled up to a beautiful home not to far from Joe's house.

It was a craftsman style home with a large yard and a white picket fence. As they climbed the stairs to enter the house, Iris was overcome with emotion. She wasn't sure if it was the neighborhood or the pregnancy hormones, but she just got the feeling like this was the one. The home was beautifully decorated on the inside and Iris could tell that the owners took good care of the home.

On the car ride home, Iris was going on and on about the craftsman house. Barry liked the house, but wasn't quite sold. He had preferred to buy something newer in a more exclusive neighborhood.

"And babe, 5 bedrooms, 3.5 baths with a finished basement. It's perfect, and it's not too far from dad. I think we should make an offer." Iris suggested.

"Don't you think that we should look some more, I mean we have only seen a few houses."

"Babe, when you know, you know."

"Yeah, but what about what I know?"

"What does that mean?"

"It means that I want to look at other houses and I don't want to put an offer on that one," Barry answered a little harshly.

"Geez, what's gotten into you?"

"You can't always just get whatever it is you want Iris."

Iris was a bit shocked at his reaction. She could tell that he had been moody since his injury. At first she gave him the benefit of the doubt, but the last few weeks he was taking his comments too far and getting attitudes way to frequently for her liking. "Barr, this isn't just about what I want, I just got a feeling like that house would be a great place to raise our children," she paused, "We can keep looking okay, just please don't rule it out."

  
Barry looked over to Iris with a scowl, but softened a bit when she smiled at him. "Okay."

After dinner, Iris went to bed early, she hadn't been feeling good during the day. Barry waited until she was asleep to leave the house. He drove downtown to a parking garage, pulled into a spot and turned the car off. 5 minutes passed when someone knocked on the passenger side window. He unlocked the car and let the knocker in the car.

"Thanks for meeting me here Rene." Barry had met Rene last season. He was at a cookout at a teammates house when he met him. He was a friend of Mick Rory, which should have been an indication to stay away, especially when he nonchalantly dropped that he knew how to get things. Barry never thought in a million years that he would be calling this guy up for help.

"No problem man, anything for my new favorite customer." Rene reached in his pocket and pulled out a bag of pills, "Oxycodone 7.5mg." He handed Barry the bag. Barry took it and handed him a wad of cash.

"Pleasure doing business with you, call me when you need something else." Rene dapped him up and got out of the car. Barry sat there for a moment, after he took 2 pills. He moved the remaining pills from the bag to the bottle he kept in the car. Once he composed himself, he headed back to the house.

When he got home, Iris was still asleep. He quietly crept into bed trying not to wake her. He felt terrible about keeping this from Iris, but he thought she would just be upset and wouldn't understand. As soon as he settled into bed, he was almost asleep when he felt Iris move closer to him and lay on his chest and she went right back to sleep. A few minutes of feeling her breathing against him and he was out like a light.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> B&I have a fight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is really angsty...I am also having a lot of fun with this story and I'm writing quickly so I may update with a few more chapters later today. Enjoy XX

"Thank you so much for sharing your story with me Heather." Iris thanked her interviewee again. Heather was one of the woman who was affected by the birth control recall. She was one of the women that chose not to go through with her pregnancy. Iris didn't judge, she felt like every woman had a right to make her own choices. But Iris knew that this would bring something different to the story, maybe open a dialogue.

Once the camera crew was packed up, Iris said her goodbyes and left to meet Linda for lunch. They were supposed to go shopping afterwards, but Iris was tired and was going to have to take a raincheck on that. She arrived first and had already ordered drinks for them both when Linda finally arrived. Linda was due in a few more weeks.

When she plopped down on the booth and let out a satisfied breath, Iris could only laugh. "Same girl, same."

"So I feel like we haven't seen each other in forever, told you it would be different when you left CCPN."

Iris rolled her eyes, "I miss you too Lin, so how has it been over there?"

"Well, since you left Siobhan has a melt down about something every other day. Yesterday I think I saw Mason take the long way to the breakroom just to avoid walking by her office. Needless to say, everyone misses you."

The thought of CCPN needing her made her smile. Truth be told, she was very happy with the decision to leave, even through all of the apprehension. "What I wouldn't give to see one of those meltdowns. So are you ready to have this baby?"

"Girl, yes! Little TJ has been wrecking my insides, the last appointment I was literally in tears begging to be induced right there in her office." They both laughed. Linda had found out that they were having a boy. Tony insisted that it be a junior. Iris and Barry still hadn't settled on any names, but one thing was certain, her husband was adamant that they not name any of their children Bartholomew.  
"So how has everything been with you? I know Barry has been dealing with the injury."

"Honestly Linda, I don't know what's up with him. Like I get being disappointed with not being able to play, but he has been really moody. We are always getting into these petty arguments. It's really stressing me out. I'm carrying these babies, I'm tired ALL the time, my ankles are freaking huge, I'm trying to settle in to this new job, we are house hunting and on top of it all, I haven't had sex in weeks. I'm close to losing it here Lin."

"All I got out of that is that you need to get laid." Iris looked at her friend like she had two heads and the both burst out laughing. "You know I am here for you Iris. Whatever you need."

"Thanks Linda."

 

That weekend was Joe's annual Labor day cookout. Half of CCPD and the neighborhood were there. This year, it felt like more of a celebration. The twins would be here soon and Wally was newly engaged. Joe had never been more happy. Iris thought it was time for her dad to find some companionship too. She made it her mission to find a nice woman for her father.

Iris had invited some of her new colleagues from work as well including J'onn and Jennifer. Everyone seemed to be having a good time. Iris was in the corner of the backyard speaking with J'onn. They were having an innocent conversation about home buying when J'onn said something funny. Iris placed her hand on his arm while laughing. She didn't know that Barry had been watching the whole time.

Barry had taken a few pills before the cookout started. While they were at Joe's, he had been chugging back beers like they were water. He had been watching Iris interacting with J'onn since he arrived and Barry was getting more and more agitated. He finally had enough, he finished off the rest of the beer he was drinking, threw the bottle in the yard and headed towards his wife.

When he walked over, he grabbed Iris and spun her around, kissing her sloppily on the mouth. She pulled away and looked at him, trying to figure out what he was doing. He then stood beside her and pulled her close, holding her almost too tight. "Barry, you remember J'onn?"

"Oh yeah, Mr. First name basis right."

Iris was so embarrassed. She could cut the tension with a knife. "He was just giving me some advice on house hunting."

"Oh, he's an expert on that too. What other kind of advice does he have for you Iris?"

"I should get going," J'onn said, trying to remove himself from the situation as to not make anything worse.

"No, please stay, I want to know what other advice you have for MY WIFE."

"BARRY!"

"It's okay Iris, I need to head out anyways. I'll see you at the office, Thanks again for the invite."

"I'm sorry J'onn, I will see you Tuesday." J'onn nodded and looked over at Barry before he walked off.

Iris turned to her husband, "Kitchen...NOW!" Once they were in the kitchen Iris unloaded, "What the hell was that Barry."

"What was what?"

"You completely embarrassed me, in front of my boss no less. What is wrong with you?"

"Wrong with me? You are the one cozying up to your boss."

"Cozying up? You practically peed on my leg out there to mark your territory. And how much have you had to drink?" Barry chuckled.

"Oh you think this is funny huh?"

"Well I see you have picked a side, and it's not your husbands, what a surprise."

"And what the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing."

There was a few minutes of awkward silence. Finally Iris spoke up, "Look Barry, I don't know what is going on with you, but you need to fix it fast, before these babies get here. I am going to have Wally take me home. Maybe you should stay somewhere else until you can get your shit together."

"Iris-"

"No...nope, not today Satan." Iris looked at he husband one more time and walked out of the kitchen to find Wally. Barry didn't even wait to see his wife walk out on him, he left before she did. He didn't want to get any pep talks or advice about any of this, so he didn't call Oliver, instead, he checked in to a hotel downtown.

He didn't even stop for any clothes. He walked into his hotel room and fell onto the bed. He had really made a mess of things. He wasn't sure how he was going to fix this. He took a couple more pills and cracked open the mini bar. He fell into a drunken sleep shortly thereafter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so Barry is clearly going off the deep end. I know some of you are worried about him, I am too. But remember the fortune teller did tell them their love was strong enough to get through the dark days, so I am hopeful they will be okay :)


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry and Iris talk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> very mild smut in this chapter..also angsty

It had been a week since Iris had put Barry out. She was sad that he wasn't there, but she needed him to get his act together. She was not going to bring children into a home with the tension that they had. She hoped that after a day or two, he would come home to her, ready to figure everything out. But he hadn't, and she had only spoken to him once since he left.

Barry wasn't handling the situation well either. He would go to practice and PT everyday, but then he would just go back to the hotel, drink and use pills in the dark until he fell asleep. He was barely showering and hadn't shaved at all. Oliver noticed how bad he was looking at practice. He knew that something was going on with his best friend, he just didn't know how bad things really were.

It all came to a head that day at practice when Barry got into an altercation with a team mate. They had to be separated and Oliver dragged Barry into the locker room once they were broken apart. Once in the locker room, Barry punched at his locker at few times.

After a while Oliver finally spoke, "Feel better now?" Barry sneered at Oliver. "Barry man, what's going on with you? Is everything okay with you and Iris?"

"You know Oliver, not everything is about Iris all the time."

Oliver took note of his tone, "Okay man, I am just trying to figure out when you became a massive jerk is all," Oliver didn't hold back.

"Well Oliver, I didn't have mommy and daddy to hug me as a child like you did. Maybe I have always been this way."

"No, I don't think so. The Barry I know, my best friend, he wouldn't push away someone who was trying to help him."

"Well then maybe you don't know me as well as you thought you did." Barry grabbed his bag and headed out of the facility. He got a call later that day from Coach Wells telling him that due to the fight earlier, he was suspended from the team for 2 weeks. That meant he couldn't be on team grounds or attend any practices or team workouts.

He threw his phone down after he hung up from Wells. Sighing, he took a few pills and went to grab a drink from the mini bar. Barry had been on a binge since he had been at the hotel, with no signs of slowing down. Being by himself, he didn't have to answer to anyone or worry about them trying to stop him. He was fine with that, even though he missed his wife desperately.

He was falling asleep to Jimmie Kimmel when there was a knock on the hotel room door. He checked the room to make sure there was no incriminating evidence and opened the door. He was surprised to see Iris standing there.

"Can we talk?" she asked.

"Um, yeah," Barry stepped back from the door and let Iris come in.

She took notice of the messy state of the room. She then took a good look at her husband. He looked horrible, his hair looked like he hadn't washed it in days, he clearly hadn't shaved either. Once she was able to see him in better light, she noticed some bruising around his eye. She gently touched his face. He leaned into her touch with his eyes closed, relishing in the feeling of her skin against his again.

"What happened?"

"You should see the other guy. I had a little situation at practice today."

"A situation? Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine. Got suspended for 2 weeks though."

"Oh Barr. What is going on with you?"

"Iris...I..." He didn't know what to say. They stared at each other for a while, no words were said out loud, but they had a conversation with their eyes. Finally Barry spoke, "I miss you so much Iris," He moved closer to her and took her in his arms.

She tried to resist, but she missed him too, and it had been so long since they were together. The started kissing and he led her over to the bed. He laid her down and kissed her more. It wasn't long after that he had pulled up her skirt and pulled his pants down to his knees. He didn't even bother taking them or his boxers off. He entered her with a purpose. After a few short fast strokes, he climaxed. That was the first time ever since they had been together that he didn't make sure Iris got off first. It felt different to her, she wanted to feel better, instead she felt more disconnected from him. This was not what she came here for.

Barry got up from on top of her and walked into the bathroom. Iris sat up on the bed and started to cry. She just wanted her husband back, this guy she just had sex with, that wasn't her Barry. When he came out of the bathroom, he saw her crying, "What's all that for?"

"Are you serious Barry? I didn't come here for that, I came to talk, I need you to tell me what is going on with you."

"It's nothing Iris."

"No Barry, it's definitely something. You have been acting different, we are fighting more, that stunt you pulled at the cookout. It's got to be something."

Barry didn't respond, instead he sat down in the chair on the other side of the room.

"Is it me, do you not love me anymore?"

"Iris-"

Her crying intensified, "Are you scared about the babies? Buying a house? What is it Barry?"

He didn't know what to tell her. He wanted to tell her so bad that he was hooked on pain killers and he was drinking a lot, and he had doubts about his ability to be a father, he wasn't sure if he would ever get to be a starting qb again, the house that she loved reminded him too much of the house he grew up in. There were a million things he could have said in that moment. All Iris wanted was honesty. But in that moment, Barry was too afraid to let his guard down. So he just sat there, silently, looking at the floor.

Iris just stared at him, tears in her eyes. Finally she stood up from the bed. "Okay then." She walked out of the hotel room and Barry let her go without protest.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case it wasn't clear the way I wrote it, Iris was a willing participant in the smut.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> something unexpected

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope to maybe get another chapter or 2 out later today. enjoy xx

Another two weeks had passed and Barry still wasn't back home. His suspension was finally over so he was able to go back to the facility. He made a half assed apology to the team which most of them seemed to accept. He was also able to start throwing, that was the highlight of his week, being able to throw again. He promised that Digg that he would take it easy, but when he threw that first ball, a rush came over him. He did overdo it the first practice.

He was on a high when he left practice, and it was better than anything he felt that last few months. But that didn't stop him from taking pills still. At this point, he couldn't get through his day without them. He had a regular supply coming in from Rene, so they were always available.

He was downtown and just had met with Rene to get a refill. He was sitting in his car near a park, just people watching. He saw a young family. The couple looked to be about him and Iris' age. They were pushing a stroller with a toddler in it. They looked so happy. The man picked up the little girl out of the stroller and tossed her in the air. The woman looked on, smiling while he walked over and planted a kiss on her. They smiled at each other, they looked so in love.

It made him miss his wife. He knew he really had messed up. He wasn't sure what to do to fix it. One thing he did know was that he couldn't keep using if he wanted to make things work out with Iris. He didn't want to put her through that, and she wouldn't stand for it. He didn't know what to do, because he didn't know how to stop using, and honestly, he didn't know if he wanted to. He turned on his car and headed towards the hotel.

 

Iris had thrown herself into work to keep her mind off Barry. She would get to the office first thing in the morning and would be the last one there at night. She hadn't been feeling well, but she attributed that to missing her husband and dealing with her pregnancy.

That day however, she was feeling particularly ill. She had been dealing with a bad headache for a few days and her ankles had gotten even more swollen. She was trying to take it easy. She should have spent a day or two at home instead of the 12 hour days at the office.

Jennifer was in her office going over the schedule for the next week, when she noticed that Iris was sweating a lot. "Are you okay Iris?" she asked.

"Honestly, I am not feeling to well, I think I may get out of here early." Iris went to stand up and felt woozy, she fell back into her chair.

"Iris, do you want me to call Barry?"

"No, no, I will be okay, once I get my barrings a bit I am just going to go home and rest."

"Do you want me to get an Uber or something for you?"

"Jennifer you are sweet. I am okay though, really."

Jennifer looked at Iris concerned but took her word. She nodded at her and walked out of her office, shutting the door behind her. Iris sat at her desk for another moment and then decided that she was okay to go home. She had grabbed all of her belonging and was heading for the door when she had a seizure. Iris dropped to the floor and was shaking uncontrollably.

Luckily Jennifer was still at her desk and she was able to hear Iris in distress. She walked in to see Iris on the floor. Jennifer screamed for help and went to Iris' desk to find something to put between her teeth. She sat down on the floor and put Iris' head in her lap and tried to calm her. Several people ran to the office and once seeing what was going on, called 911.

Jennifer rode in the ambulance with Iris. She didn't want her to be alone. She had Iris' phone and was trying to get a hold of Barry, but it just kept going to voicemail. She didn't want to be going through Iris' phone, but she needed to find a family member who could make decisions at the hospital if need be. She finally found the contact for dad.

"Hey Babygirl."

"Um, Mr. West, this is actually Jennifer, Iris' assistant."

"Oh Hi Jennifer, is everything alright."

She hesitated, "Actually, Iris had a seizure at work today, I am actually in the ambulance with her, I tried to call Barry, but I can't get him."

"Oh my god, is she...is she alright?"

"Honestly sir, I don't know."

"I'm on my way, thank you Jennifer." Joe hung up the phone and called Wally. He told him the situation and to get to the hospital to be with his sister. Joe needed to get Barry. He knew exactly where he was. He knew something was going on with him and had his suspicions on what it was. He was going to let Iris and Barry deal with it on their own and not get involved, but things were getting real life serious and Joe had had enough.

Barry was awoken by a loud pounding on the door. He lazily got up from the bed and stumbled to the door. "You better be the cops with all that banging," he yelled towards the door before he opened it. He was surprised to see his father in law standing there. "Joe? What are you-"

"It's Iris. Something happened and she is on her way to the hospital."

Barry stumbled back a bit. That bit of information was enough to get him to wake up fully. "The babies?"

"I dunno Barr."

Barry walked into the room in a panic, he started sorting through all the clothes in the room trying to find something to put on. Never did he once think something bad would happen to Iris while he was away. He was beating himself up inside for being so selfish.

He threw on some clothes and made his way towards the door. Joe stopped him. "Listen son, I know you are going through some things right now. We all go through things. But right now Iris and your babies need you to be there for them. 100%." The way Joe looked at him, Barry knew that Joe knew about the using. He was a cop, so it made sense.

Joe continued, "I'm not saying it's going to be easy for you. But we are your family, we love you and we will help you through it, you just have to talk to us, let us help you."

Joe could have been mean, he could have tried to kill him for making Iris hurt, he could have done a lot of things, but Barry didn't expect him to be compassionate. Barry turned as red as a tomato and began to cry. Joe walked over and pulled him into a hug. "I'm sorry Joe, I'm so sorry." Barry cried into his shoulder.

"I know son, and we are going to get you better, but right now, we need to get to Iris. Come on, I'll drive."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just love Barry and Joe's relationship, I tried to emulate the father/son dynamic similar to the show's...I hope I have done it justice through this series.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry confesses to Iris

Iris was awake and stable. When she woke up, she was sitting in the ambulance. It took her a moment to figure out what was going on. Jennifer explained that she had a seizure and that her dad was supposed to come to the hospital. "And Barry?" she asked her. Jennifer just shook her head.

Iris then turned to the medic, "My babies, are my babies okay?"

"We just need to get you to the hospital ma'am, we are almost there." Iris started to cry, she didn't know what she would do if something happened to her children, she really just wanted Barry by her side.

They made it to the hospital and rolled Iris into a triage room. A few nurses and a doctor came in. The nurses started poking and prodding, getting her hooked up to a bunch of machines and putting a fetal heart monitor on her. She was relieved when they told her they still heard both of the heartbeats.

"Mrs. West-Allen, I'm Dr. Johns, I am the attending here. Do you want to tell me what happened?"

"Apparently I had a seizure. I really don't remember it."

"Can you tell me how you were feeling before the seizure?"

"Um, I've had a headache the last few days, been more nauseous than normal. My ankles are really swollen, and I've been having a little bit of dizziness."

"Well, you have certainly been through it. Your blood pressure is a little to high, so we are going to get that down first. Have you ever had a seizure before?"

"No."

"Okay, well, the nurse is going to get some blood and we are going to run a few tests. Is this your first pregnancy?"

"Yes."

"Wow, twins with the first one. Don't worry Mrs. West-Allen, we are going to take good care of you and your babies."

"Thank you doctor." The doctor left the room and the nurse continued with her specimen collection. She handed Iris a cup and pointed to the bathroom. She came back with cup full and saw that Wally was in the room. She handed the cup to the nurse and got back into the bed. Once the nurse was finished and left the room, Wally ran to Iris' side.

"Iris, are you okay?"

"I should be fine I think. The babies are okay."

"What happened?"

"I had a seizure. Not sure what caused it, but they are running some tests." Wally leaned down and hugged her. Just as they broke apart, her dad came into the room.

"Baby girl. I was so worried."

"I'm sorry to worry you dad. I'm feeling better now though." Joe leaned down to hug Iris. She looked behind him and saw Barry standing near the curtain, almost like he was embarrassed to be seen. Joe looked at Wally and then Iris. "We'll give you guys a minute, c'mon Wally, let's go get some coffee."

Joe patted Barry on the shoulder as he and Wally left the room. Barry was hesitant to approach Iris. He could barely look at her. Finally she called out to him and it got his attention. All she did was hold her arms out for him. He was next to her in an instant, Hugging her tight.

"I'm so sorry." He whispered. They both started crying. "I know that we have a lot to talk about and I know I messed up, but I love you Iris. You are everything to me. The last thing I want to do is hurt you like I have been. I'm sorry. When Joe told me you were hurt, I almost died inside. I wasn't there for you. I promise you Iris, I will never leave you or our babies again. That is, if you will still have me."

Iris took his chin in her hand and looked into his bloodshot eyes, "Barry, you hurt me. And I know that we need to have a serious conversation about what is going on with you...but you are the love of my life. As long as you are willing to be honest with me, we can get through this. Me and the babies need you. If you promise you will never leave us again, than I believe you."

"I love you Iris West-Allen."

"I love you too." Barry took her face in his hands and placed a long needed kiss on her lips. Iris needed it just as much. She was so glad that he was here with her. She didn't want to go through this without him. They were interrupted by Joe clearing his throat. He smiled and nodded at Barry, like it was a sign that everything was going to be okay.

 

They had been in the hospital for a few hours. The nurse came in a few times to check her vitals. She tried to play it cool, but Barry could tell she really wanted to fan out over him. He finally asked her if she wanted a selfie, which she happily accepted. Iris had fallen asleep. Barry just sat in the chair watching her chest move up and down. She woke up to him staring.

"Hey."

"Hey, how are you feeling?"

"Better," Iris yawned. "You wanna talk?"

"Yeah, yeah I do." Barry took a long pause. He wasn't sure how he was going to break this to Iris. He still hadn't even said the words out loud. After a bit, he finally started, "When I got hurt, it really messed with my confidence, ya know. I thought that I needed to get back on the field as quick as possible or my career would be over. I pushed myself harder than I should have. I was having a lot of shoulder pain, so I relied on my pain pills. Soon my shoulder stopped hurting, but I kept taking the pills."

Iris reached out for his hand. Barry was starting to get emotional talking about it. He felt so ashamed. He could barely look at Iris as he continued,"At first I really did need them, like right after the surgery, then I needed them to get through the day. When I didn't have them, I turned to a different bottle. I found someone who could get me what I needed when my prescription ran out."

"Barry-" iris tried to respond, but he stopped her. "Please Iris, I need to tell you everything before you say anything."

She closed her mouth and let him continue, "The day of the cookout, I was high on oxycodon and drunk. I embarrassed you and myself and for that I am so sorry. I don't know what came over me that day. I know you would never be unprofessional. I've been spending these last weeks apart drinking alone and using oxy's in my hotel room. If it weren't for this happening, I don't know if I would have ever come clean, and that scares the hell out of me. I need help Iris."

Barry finally looked up at Iris to gauge her reaction. She was completely stone faced, no reaction at all. He didn't want to see Anger or Disappointment, but nothing, that was even worse. After an absurdly long silence, Iris finally spoke.

"Wow. I had no idea you were dealing with that. It makes sense though. I wish I had seen the signs so I could have helped you."

Barry laughed. Like legit was laughing from his gut. "What's so funny?" she asked him.

"I have been the worse husband the last few months, I put you through hell, causing stress on you and the babies, and your first thought is you wish you could have helped me. I don't know what I did to deserve you."

"I'm not going to say I'm not a little angry or disappointed, but babe, it's for better or worse, I'm your ride or die. We are going to get through this together, whatever you feel like you need to do to get through this, I will support you. You just have to let us do this together, okay? I love you."

He kissed her hand, "I love you."

 


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iris gets a diagnosis

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning for complicated pregnancy..this is a shorter chapter. It was originally part of the last chapter that I decided to break up.

A few more hours had passed. Iris and Barry had both fallen asleep. They were woken up by the doctor coming in the room.

"Mrs. West-Allen, we have your test results. It's not the best news. You have preeclampsia. Have you ever heard of that before?" Both she and Barry shook their heads no. "Well, it's a condition related to pregnancy. It causes high blood pressure. It most likely was the cause of your seizure. It can also do some harm to your organs. Our tests have revealed a high level of protein in your urine."

"What does that mean doctor?" Iris asked.

"It means that something is going on with your liver," Barry answered.

"Correct Mr. Allen. We are going to put you on some IV meds to help with your liver functions, but right now our main concern are the babies."

Iris sat up straighter and grabbed Barry's hand. "What's wrong with the babies?"

"Another thing that happens with this condition is that there isn't as much blood flow to the placenta, and with you having two fetus' that's even less."

"Okay, " Iris started shaking her head, "So what exactly does that mean?"

"It means that if we can't get your symptoms under control, we may need to induce. We need to run some more tests and make sure that the babies will be developed enough to be delivered pre term."

"But, I'm only 30 weeks. It's too soon."

"Mrs. West-Allen, I understand your concerns, but they have a good chance that far along. Look we may be getting ahead of ourselves. We are going to admit you for at least tonight while we monitor the situation. There should be a room ready for you soon. I'll check in again later." The doctor shook both of their hands and left the room.

Iris turned to Barry and started crying again. All he could do was hold her and rock her, trying to comfort her. He had to stay strong for the both of them.   
  
They finally made it up to the room and Iris sent Barry away to Big Belly Burger. She needed some comfort food. They put her on the maternaty ward, in case she needed to deliver the babies. She was flipping through the channels on the TV when she heard a ruckus down the hall. The reporter instincts took over and she hopped out of bed and went closer to the door to check out what was going on.  
"GET OUT!!" she heard a voice scream from down the hall. A voice she recognized. "Linda?" Iris said to herself.

She slowly started walking closer to the raised voices and she saw Tony running out of the room. She couldn't help but laugh. That was Linda all right. She made her way into the room. "Iris! You're here! Why are you dressed like that?"

"It's a long story Lin, I don't want to stress you out right now. So this is it huh? Are you ready?"

Linda became very vulnerable. Iris didn't see that side of her often."Honestly, I am scared as hell. Not just of the delivery, but of motherhood. What if I am a terrible mother?"

"Lin, you are going to be a great mother and raise a strong and good hearted little boy."

"I hope so."

Iris sat with Linda the rest of the time. She had to leave once or twice to get meds or have some vitals checked. When it was time for Linda to give birth, Iris went to leave, to let her and Tony experience it together. She kissed her on the head and made for the door when Linda grabbed her arm. "Please don't leave." Iris smiled and stayed with her friend.

 


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iris gets some bad news

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for another short chapter

Iris was happy to have been there for Linda while she had her baby the day before. She was actually feeling fortunate to see it in action before she had to go through with it. Linda was a champ during the delivery and it made Iris feel better about it. She was hoping that she would get to go home today. She knew she was still high risk, but she would rather be on bed rest at home and not the hospital.

Barry had only left her side twice since she had been admitted to the hospital. Joe and Wally had been by to visit, as well as Felicity. Once she was given the okay, Linda brought TJ to visit with his god mommy. Holding him made her jealous. She was just ready to hold her babies in her arms. Even Barry was getting jitters holding him.

They had discussed his issues some more. Barry didn't want to go to rehab, but he was going to start seeing a therapist and going to meetings. He offered to get drug tested regularly, but Iris said it wasn't necessary, she trusted him.

They were on the ipad, ordering more stuff for the babies when her OB walked in. Iris was glad to see her. She had been with Iris from day one and she felt the most comfortable with her.

"Iris, Barry, it's good to see you guys again."

"You too Dr. Wexler. Please tell me that I can go home today." Iris hoped.

Dr Wexler looked at her chart, "I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but these babies, they need to come out."

Barry looked over at Iris and took her hand. She was shaking, the tears hadn't started yet, but she knew they were coming. The doctor explained, "The last stress test on the babies determined that they are working too hard in there. I know it's pre term, and it is okay to be scared or nervous. But you all are in the best neonatal care unit in the state. We are going to take good care of your little ones."

Iris couldn't hold back the tears anymore. Barry stood up and started rubbing her back. Finally he asked, "So, what's next? How is this going to happen?"

"We are going to have to do a C section." Iris groaned, she knew with twins it would be more likely anyways, but after watching Linda, she really wanted a vaginal birth. "We will have two teams from the NICU waiting to receive the babies when they come out. Unfortunately, you won't be able to hold them right away, but once they get cleaned up and checked out, you will be able to be with them."

"I'll be awake right?"

"Of course, we will just numb you from the waist down, you will be awake for everything."

"And I can be there?" Barry asked.

"Yes, you will have to wear scrubs, but you will be allowed in the operating room." They asked a few more questions. The doctor let them know they would be doing the c section in about an hour. That gave Iris enough time to call her dad and get him to the hospital.

Joe arrived right as Iris was getting her epidural. She was happy to see him. She was sad that her mom wasn't there with her, but she was glad she still had her dad.

"Hey baby girl." He kissed her on the forehead. "I am so proud of you," he whispered to her. He stood up and gave Barry a hug. "Wally and Jesse are here. I told them they could wait until after the delivery but they both insisted on being here." Just as Joe said that, they both walked into the room.

"Hey, I'm not missing this." He dapped up Barry and kissed his sister. "You guys picked out names yet?"

"No, I think once we see them, we will know what to name them," Iris answered.

The doctor came in and told Iris they were ready. She said one last goodbye to her family and her and Barry headed to the OR to meet their babies. 


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iris gives birth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning premature births/ labor complications

Barry had gotten scrubbed up and properly dressed and was allowed to go into the operating room. He made his way over to his wife, who was laying on the table with a sheet up blocking her view of the surgery. "You ready for this?" he asked him.

"As I will ever be."

"I love you Iris."

"I love you Barry." He leaned down on pressed a loving kiss on her lips. The doctor finally came in and let everyone know of the plans. Once a baby was out, they would go straight to one of the NICU teams who will check them out. Once they were good, Barry would be able to go see them right away. Iris would remain to get closed up and once she was okay, she would see them as well.

"Here we go," the doctor announced. Everything was going well, Iris' vitals were good. They weren't having any problems getting to the babies. Barry was trying not to look, he wasn't sure he would be able to handle it. He kept his focus on his wife who was being a champ about the whole thing.

After 15 mins the doctor announced that the first baby was out. "It's a girl!" Barry smiled at Iris and kissed her forehead, "Did you hear that Iris, we have a little girl." Tears were streaming down both of their cheeks.

Five minutes later they heard, "It's a boy!" Again Barry kissed Iris, "We have a son, a son." Both were crying uncontrollably at the moment. In a split second their attention was drawn to the commotion in the operating room. One of the babies wasn't breathing very well and they wanted to put them on a ventilator.

Iris grabbed Barry close to her, "Stay with them, please. I love you." She gave him a kiss on the cheek and sent him on his way. Barry started hoovering around the NICU teams, trying to stay out of their way, but trying to keep his eyes on his little ones. They weren't but 2 lbs each. Their eyes were closed so he didn't know what color they were, and the didn't have hair yet, but he could see they looked like him and Iris. He was overcome with emotions.

Breaking his thoughts were loud beeps coming from Iris' monitor. "She losing too much blood," he heard the doctor say and immediately went towards Iris. At this point, the doctor told him he would need to leave, but he could meet the babies in the NICU. He protested that he was not going to leave his wife or his children, but a nurse was able to coax him out of the room and to the waiting area where Joe, Wally and Jesse were.

When he walked out there, it was like he was in a daze. Wally happily walked up to Barry, "So?"

Barry started crying, they all assumed they were tears of joy. "Um, we had a girl and a boy."

Everyone started gasping and throwing out congratulations. Joe could sense there was something else, "Barr?"

In between broken sobs he was able to get out, "One of the babies is on a ventilator, and something...something happened with Iris, they kicked me out and I don't know what is going on."

"Oh my God," Joe pulled Barry into a tight hug. They were in the waiting room for about 15 minutes when a nurse came out and told Barry that he could come to the NICU to see the babies.  
They made him put on fresh scrubs before he could go in to see them. "Any word on my wife?" He asked as he was changing his scrubs.

"She's still in surgery," the nurse answered, she could see that Barry was on the verge of tears again so she added, "She with the best, she will be okay and you both will be with your babies soon."

Barry gave her an appreciative smile and followed her into the NICU. The baby boy was in an incubator, tubes everywhere. He was so tiny, but Barry could tell already that he had Iris' nose and chin. He wasn't able to touch him yet, but he got as close as he could. "Hello my son. I'm your dad, it's so good to finally meet you. You'll get to meet your mommy soon." He wiped a stray tear from his cheek.

He turned around to where his daughter was. They were still working on her. When she came out, she wasn't getting enough air. That was a complication that they were aware could happen. They put her on a ventilator to help her breathe. It was a hard sight for him to see. He felt so helpless because his baby girl was hurting and he couldn't do anything to help her.

He really wanted Iris to be here at this moment. He started thinking about what would happen if he lost her. He wouldn't be able to raise two kids by himself, and he didn't want to. He wanted to raise these kids in a loving two parent household.

Barry looked back at his daughter and the nurse signaled for him to come closer. Because of the vent, he wasn't able to get a good look at her face. But he did the same as he did with his son. "Hey baby, it's your daddy. I love you so much already. You are strong just like your mommy, I know you are going to be okay."

He spent a few more minutes looking at her. He was in awe of the both of them. He turned to go back over to his son when he heard his name being called. He turned to see Dr. Wexler, he was going to find out what happened with Iris.   


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like I said before, I am having a lot of fun with this one, I hope to have it finished in the next few days, maybe even tomorrow. Thanks again for reading.
> 
> As always, you can leave comments or suggestions on my tumblr Katieb161
> 
> xx


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath of the delivery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading..please enjoy! I have 4 chapters I will be posting today. There is a small small chance this story may get finished today if not tomorrow.
> 
> xx

Barry was led into the recovery room where Iris was. She was just waking up when he arrived. He rused to her side, pushing her hair from in front of her face. He leaned down and kissed her, relieved that she was okay.

"How are the babies?" she asked, still a little groggy.

"They are so perfect. Our daughter is on a ventilator." he answered a little bit sad.

"I can't wait to see them," Iris said as she was trying to sit up more.

Barry lightly pushed her back down. "Iris, take it easy, we need to talk about you first."

"What about me?"

"Iris, there were some complications during the C section."

She began to look worried as he continued to explain what happened to her. "You lost a lot of blood. They had a hard time getting the bleeding to stop." He took a deep sighing breath, he didn't know how he was going to break it to her. Finally, he told her, "Iris, the only way to stop you from bleeding out was to perform a hysterectomy."

Iris was silent. She looked shell shocked. Tears slowly started to fall down her cheeks as she came to the realization that she would never be able to have any more kids. She turned to Barry and gripped his hand tighter. She looked up at him, tears making it hard to see clear. "I'm sorry babe, that I won't be able to give you any more kids. I'm sorry I am disappointing you."

Barry smiled and through his tears said, "Iris, you have already given me two beautiful children, who I love more than anything. You could never disappoint me. And there are other ways to have more children." She lowered her head, as to not look at him feeling heartbroken over her loss. He picked her head up by the chin, "I love you okay, and I am so proud of you for what you did today. That will never change." He leaned over for another salty kiss.

It was another 30 minutes before Iris was cleared to be able to see the babies. Barry had stayed by her side the whole time. She wanted him to stay with the babies, but the nurse promised to come get him if anything happened. Barry felt like he needed to be with his wife. Joe, Wally and Jesse were still at the hospital. They were hoping to at least get a peak at the babies, even though they knew they couldn't hold them. Joe also wanted to make sure his only daughter was okay after this whole ordeal.

A nurse brought in wheel chair for Iris and Barry pushed her down the corridors until they arrived at the NICU. They both got dressed in the appropriate scrubs and were led into the unit. Barry pushed her over to their daughter first. Even though she was hooked up to a vent, she still looked so peaceful.

When Iris finally was able to see her, she started to cry uncontrollably. Partly because she was so happy, partly because she wanted to hold her so bad and couldn't. She stood up against Barry's wishes and walked closer to the incubator. She placed her hand on top of it, trying to get as close to her as possible. She didn't have any words to say, she just silently watched her baby girl.

She spent a good 15 minutes standing there, just touching the incubator and staring. She eventually turned towards her son. She started to walk towards him when Barry insisted that he push her. She relented and sat back down while he maneuvered her over to the other incubator.

Iris smiled wide when she saw her son. He was breathing a lot better than his sister, but they were still concerned about his heart rate and blood pressure. She wasn't able to hold him yet either, but she was able to put her hand into the incubator and at least feel him. The first time she touched him, there was a small gurgle like noise that he made. Barry and Iris both turned to each other and smiled.

They had both spend hours in the NICU, just watching their babies. They didn't do a lot of talking or crying for that matter. But they did a lot staring and thinking. The unit was nice enough to let Joe in to see the babies. He was a ball of nerves before he got to see them. Once he was in there, he was overcome with a sense of optimism. He just knew that his grand kids were going to be okay. He was able to snap a picture of both of them to show to Wally and Jesse.

Iris was told that she would need to go back to her room for a while. She needed her vitals checked and the nurse also convinced her that she needed to get some rest, or she wouldn't be any good to the babies. She agreed to go get some rest, only if Barry got some too. He didn't want to leave her or their children, but Iris was right, he needed to take a shower and eat something. He refused to sleep in their bed until she was home with him, so he was preparing to come back and sleep at the hospital.

Barry went back to the hotel he was staying at. He knew he should check out, but he didn't have time for that today, he just wanted to shower and get back to his family. When he got into the room, he saw the remaining pills that he had sitting next to the TV. He picked them up and stared at them for a moment. He couldn't believe he almost let these things ruin his life. He went into the bathroom and flushed what was left. There was a sense of relief that washed over him, as he watched the pills spin away into nothingness.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They twins finally get named.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! xx

A few weeks had passed since Iris had the babies. She had been discharged from the hospital a few days after her C section, but she never left. She just moved from the maternity ward to the NICU. Their daughter was still on the vent, but they were hoping to try to take her off of it soon. Their son was doing much better. He wasn't gaining weight as fast as they would have liked so they still had a feeding tube hooked up to him. Iris just wanted to hold them in her arms and was trying to be patient.

Another issue, they still didn't have names. Right now they were just Baby Boy and Baby Girl Allen. Both Barry and Iris threw out suggestions but none of them felt right. They still had time though, they didn't officially need names until they were discharged from the hospital.

Since it wasn't a regular ward, they had to keep visitors to a minimum. Joe was a regular, he came to see his grand babies every day. Wally had been once to see them. Linda and Felicity also made it to see the newborns. Most people sent cards and balloons and flowers and stuff. Eddie sent two big stuffed animals from him and Laurel. He had promised once they were discharged, he and Laurel would make the trip from Starling to meet them.

Barry also reluctantly started going back to practice. As crazy as it sounded, he was actually glad for his injury. Because he wasn't playing, he was able to skip the out of town games and he was able to be with Iris and his children every night.

The first day he came back to practice, he was greeted by cheers and congratulations. They team had also chipped in and got them 6 months of a personal chef and a maid for when the babies came home. Barry was brought to tears due to the thoughtfulness.

Before they headed out to the field for practice, Barry pulled Oliver aside. "Hey man can we talk for a minute?"

"Sure Barry, what's up?"

"I just wanted to apologize. I know the last few months, I have been a total jackass." Oliver nodded in agreement. Barry continued, "You have been nothing but a supportive, trust worthy friend to me, and I treated you like shit."

"Barry, you think I didn't know about the pills?" Barry looked at Oliver confused, "Look man, I have been doing this a long time, and I have had my far share of injuries too." Oliver gave Barry a look, Barry knew that look meant been there done that. "All I'm trying to say man is I get it. And I want you to know that I am always here for you, I'm your best friend, and I forgive you."

Barry pulled him into a tight hug, "Thank you." They pulled apart and Oliver slapped Barry on the back as they both headed out of the locker room.

After practice, Barry headed back to the hospital. He had received a text for Iris that he needed to get to the hospital as soon as practice was over. He was a bit nervous not knowing what to expect,but when he walked into the hospital room, he saw Iris smiling. He was even more confused because he hadn't seen her smile like that in a very long time. The last time he saw that smile was when Iris had first stepped into the craftsman house when they were house hunting.

Iris ran over to him bouncing and giggling like a little school girl. "What is it Iris, what's got you in such a good mood?" he asked.

"They said we get to hold our son today!" Iris beamed. Now he understood the happiness. Their children were almost a month old and this would be the first time they would be able to hold one of them. Barry grew a smile that out matched the one on his wife's face.

He let her go first. The nurse explained about all the wires and everything before placing him into his mothers waiting arms. The minute she felt the weight of him, her eyes became cloudy. She just wanted to pepper kisses all over his little face. She rocked him a little taking in all his features. She didn't want to say it to Barry but he looked just like her. She was in awe of him.

"Hi son, it's mommy." As soon as she whispered that to him, he opened his eyes. This was the first time she actually got a good look at them. They were green just like his father's. "Barry look! He has you eyes!"

"He sure does," Barry was filled with pride at that moment. He really wanted to hold him, but he didn't want to rush Iris. After a while, Iris finally relented and let Barry hold him. He was holding him and rocking him. He was speaking softly to him about how much he loved him and how strong he was and how he would always be there for him.

When Iris heard him say something about wishing his parents were here to meet him, she got an idea. Wally had joked about naming them Dawn and Don. Iris thought it was stupid, but now she was giving it thought. "What about Nora Dawn and Donovan Henry?"

"What did you say?" Barry asked quizzically.

"For the babies names, Nora Dawn and Donovan Henry. I just think it could be a way to honor your parents."

He looked down at his son, "Donovan Henry Allen...I like it." He looked up at Iris and she leaned down to give him a kiss.

"I like it too."

They only let them hold him for a little while. They were told that hopefully soon, Donovan could come out of the incubator permanently. They were also hoping that Iris could try nursing within the next week or two. They also planned on taking Nora off of the vent to see if she could breathe better on her own. Things seemed to be looking up for everyone. Barry and Iris were at peak happiness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kept going back and forth about Donovan's name...I hope I made the right choice on that one.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry gets Joe's help, Iris finally leaves the hospital

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was getting too long so I split it into 2.. Enjoy! xx

It was nearing the original due date, and the twins were still in the hospital. They both had minor set backs. Donovan caught an infection from his feeding tube. Due to his weak immune system, he was back in the incubator and on serious IV meds. They had also taken Nora off of the vent, but it only lasted a few hours before they put her back on. They still had not been able to hold her.

Those set backs had Iris feeling down. Barry knew there wouldn't be much he could say or do to make her feel better. He just had to be there for her and be strong.He got an idea of one thing that might make her happy and enlisted Joe for his help.

Joe was surprised a few days later when he answered the door and Barry was standing there. He initially was worried that something had happened, but Barry was looking too happy for this to be a bad visit. Barry asked if he could take a ride with him. Joe grabbed his coat and jumped into the car with Barry.

"So son, how are you doing? Really?"

"I'm really good actually. I have been seeing my therapist regularly and going to meetings at least once a week."

"That's good son, I'm proud of you."

"Thanks Joe. Honestly, since I first saw Donnie and Nora, they became my drug of choice. Does that make sense?"

"Perfect sense."

"I mean, I still worry about whether or not I am going to be a good father. But when I look at them, and Iris, I want to. I want to try to be the best father and husband I can be. Thank you Joe, thank you for supporting me."

Joe patted Barry on the leg, "Always."

They pulled up to a house not too far from where Joe lived. Barry turned off the car and motioned for them to get out. Once they both were standing in front of the house Barry spoke, "The first time Iris and I saw this house she fell in love. I was an ass and told her I didn't like it. It wasn't because it's not beautiful, but it reminded me of the house I grew up in...before my childhood was torn apart."

Barry walked towards the house with Joe following him. He opened the door and they both walked in.

"It is beautiful." Joe looked on.

"Yeah it is. When Iris walked through the house the first time, she just kept saying how she could see us raising kids here."

"So are you thinking about changing your mind and putting in an offer?"

"I already did. It's ours Joe, this is where Iris and I are going to raise our family."

Joe turned to Barry and gave him a big hug. "I'm so happy for you guys."

"Thanks. it's a surprise, Iris doesn't know I bought the house yet. I wanted it to be ready for when the babies came home. I was wondering if maybe you would want to help with that? I mean I can hire some people, but I just thought..."

"Say no more. Whatever you need."

Barry smiled at him, "I think we should start with the nursery."

 

Iris had literally not left the hospital since she arrived by ambulance almost 2 months ago. She was on a first name basis with everyone on the ward and in the cafeteria. Some of the older nurses tried to convince her to get away for a while, it would help her clear her head and relax some, but she was in no way leaving her children. Barry had to leave them everyday to go to work and she didn't want them to be alone.

She also wanted to be there for any big moments or milestones or setbacks. Donnie finally was over his infection and they were hoping to get him back out of the incubator soon. The doctors were hopeful that if he could sustain eating on his own and be okay outside of the incubator for a week or so, he might be able to come home. Nora would be a little longer. They were going to try again to take her off of the vent soon.

Iris didn't like that thought of one baby being home and one still in the hospital. Not only did she not want to separate them, she was worried about how to split the time between them. She wouldn't be able to keep bringing Donnie back to the hospital with her. She also wouldn't want to leave him alone with someone else.

She was starting to stress too much. Her blood pressure was getting a little too high so she reluctantly took the nurses advice and left the hospital for a little while. Barry took her to the loft where she had a long hot bath. It felt good for her to soak. She also was able to get some time alone to think and reflect.

Her and Barry were good for the most part. They had talked more about the using. She also agreed to see his therapist with him, once the babies were home. She expressed her hurt and disappointment. They both cried with each other, but they agreed that their love for each other would be enough to get them through anything. And it was.

She also started thinking about bringing the babies home, and knew that they were still going to need more space. They never got too far into house hunting. She wanted to bring it up to Barry again. She knew that they probably wouldn't find something before the twins were ready to come home, but they needed to at least really start looking.

After her bath, Iris came downstairs to see Barry sitting on the sofa. She sat down close to him. She started running her fingers through his hair. For the first time in a long time, things felt semi normal.

"How are you feeling babe?" she asked him.

"I'm feeling good. It's weird sitting here though...it all feels so...normal."

She laughed, "I was just thinking the same thing. This place is going to feel different once we get the twins home. Are you ready for that?"

"More than ready. I wish we could have brought them home today."

"Me too."

They sat in silence for a while, cuddled up. Eventually Barry broke the silence, " C'mon, I want to show you something." He got up from the sofa, helping Iris up with him. He led her to the door and handed her a coat. He put his on as well and headed to the car. 


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iris gets a surprise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> mild smut

They drove in silence for a while. Iris was absentmindedly looking out of the window when she realized where she was. "What are we doing here?" Barry just looked over with a smirk and kept driving.  
When they finally reached their destination, Barry turned off the car and looked at Iris. "I love you so much Iris."

"I love you too babe."

"The day we first saw this place, I told you I didn't like it. The truth was it reminded me of a past that I try to forget. But the smile you had on your face the first time you saw it will never be wiped from my memory. I want to make you smile like that all the time." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of keys. He handed them to Iris, "Welcome home."

"Barr, you didn't?"

"I did!" he said smiling and nodding. Iris unbuckled her seat belt so that she could get to him and hugged him as tight as she could. She pulled away a bit and grabbed his face into wet passionate kiss. She licked his lips open and slid her tongue into his mouth. he received it with pleasure. They stayed in the car kissing for a while until Barry broke it. "C'mon, let's go inside."

Once inside, Iris was shocked to see that it was already furnished. It wasn't completely decorated, because Barry wanted Iris to have a hand in that, but all the furniture that they needed was already there. And it was beautiful. Iris never had to worry about him getting anything tacky because he had exquisite taste.

She looked around downstairs, checking out the living room, dining room and kitchen. She walked around the kitchen island, imagining making breakfast for her family while Barry played with the kids. She couldn't believe he had done this.

He walked into the kitchen and positioned himself behind her, pulling her into his arms. "Do you like it?"

"I love it! I love you babe," she turned around and kissed him.

"I want to show you something," he grabbed her hand and led her upstairs. The first room he took her to was the nursery. Joe and Wally had come over and painted while they were at the hospital. There were two cribs set up next to each other and a rocking chair right next to them. Iris sat in the chair and started rocking herself, imagining that she was holding her daughter, nursing her, while Barry looked on with their son.

"This is so lovely Barr." He pulled her up from the rocker, "There is one more room I want to show you."

She was led into the master bedroom. There was a king bed set up with a beautiful plush headboard. "And this, "Barry started, "This is where the magic happens."

Iris laughed at her goofy husband. Truth be told, she missed their intimacy. The last time they had been together it was very...lackluster. She hadn't had a good lay since before he hurt his shoulder. Sex should have been the last thing on her mind, especially knowing her children were waiting for her at the hospital. But Barry had really turned her on with this surprise.

She walked over to him and stood on her tip toes to get better access to his mouth. They stood there kissing for what seemed like forever. Barry finally led Iris over to the bed where he laid her down. "I missed this," she whispered. "Me too."

They took their time with each other. Barry slowly started to remove articles of clothing from his wife. He took time to really look at her once they were all off. She was a little self conscious due to the extra baby weight and scars from the C section. She tried to nonchalantly cover her shame, but Barry just moved her arm out of the way. "Don't do that, I want to see you, all of you."

"Barry-"

"Iris, you are more beautiful today than you were the first time I ever saw you."

"I love you Barry."

"I love you." He kissed her again. He started peppering kisses all over her from the top of her head, to her feet. He was being sweet and gentle with her. He found his way to his favorite spot and began to pleasure her with his mouth. Iris hadn't felt that in a long time. It didn't take long for her to finish.

Barry didn't have any plans to go further than that. He knew the doctor said it was okay to start having sex again, but he didn't want her to feel uncomfortable. Iris must have sensed that he was afraid to go any further because at that point, she took charge. She stood up and pushed him on to the bed. She crawled on top of him and started kissing him with purpose. She wasn't as gentle with him as she was getting his clothes off.

Once he was naked, she sat on him. She started with a slow, light rhythm, trying to get used to him being inside her again. Once she was comfortable, she picked up the pace, controlling the situation the whole time. He had missed this too. For the first time in month, they both climax together with Iris falling into his chest, tying to catch her breath.

They were cuddled up in the bed together, basking in the afterglow. iris knew they needed to get back to the hospital, but she didn't want to leave this moment. Being in the arms of the man that she loved after such a long time. They laid in a comfortable silence for a while, until against her every desire, she fell asleep in her husbands arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, feel free to leave any comments or suggestions on my tumblr @katieb161


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The twins get discharged

The original due date had arrived and Barry and Iris were excited because they were going to take Nora off of the vent today. They had also gotten some good news that Donnie would probably be discharged in a few days. They were able to remove the feeding tube and he was eating from a bottle completely on his own. Iris had been pumping the whole time so that she would have milk for them once they were able to nurse. He had also been taken out of the incubator again and was doing okay without it. That was the best news to Barry because that meant he could hold him more often.

They still hadn't been able to hold Nora, but they were able to touch her through the incubator. They hoped once the vent came out, it wouldn't be too long after that. They knew just because they were getting better and stronger didn't mean they were out of the woods yet. There could still be complications that came up from being premature, but the doctors felt like they had a good chance at happy normal lives. It could have been worse, but they were both developing right on schedule.

Iris and Barry waited with baited breath while the team removed the vent from their daughter. Once they went past the same point as the last time they tried to remove it, and she was still okay, Iris finally took a deep breath. It looked like she was going to be okay without it.

There was something special about Nora. As soon as she was taken off the vent, she started a remarkable recovery. She was alert and awake more often, and she was taking food easily and greedily. She was actually eating more than her brother. It wasn't but a few days after that they were finally allowed to hold her for the first time.

This time, Iris let Barry go first. The moment he felt her, he started sobbing. He loved his son, but this felt different, this was his little girl. He knew in that moment she was going to be a daddy's girl. Something came over him, he started quietly singing 'Isn't she lovely' by Stevie Wonder to his daughter. It was barely audible, but it was enough for her to open her eyes. She had his eyes too.

Iris took in the moment. It was beautiful, Barry crying and singing to his daughter. Nora reacting to it is what really sent Iris over the edge. He passed her to Iris after a few minutes. She rocked her in her arms. Telling her how much she loved her. Barry went and got Donovan and brought them all together. The nurse took a picture of the four of them. They were a beautiful family.

It wasn't long after that both of the twins were discharged. Barry and Iris had been thoroughly educated on how to take care of premature babies. She knew it was going to be a long difficult journey at first. But she had Barry, and they would be able to do it, together.

Joe took some time off from work so that he could be around to help. They decided to get a nanny too, to help out for a while. Iris chose someone who was a former NICU nurse. It made her feel way more comfortable having someone around who knew what to do. She also had the gift of the maid and chef from the team, so she was feeling really confident about bringing the twins home.

Barry had been cleared to return to the field. He was kind of annoyed that his recovery period was over, because he wanted the extra time with his family. It was crazy of him to think a few months ago, he was so consumed with getting back out there, and now it was like he didn't care whether he ever played again or not. Iris kept telling him he may feel like that now, but eventually he would miss the game and regret time not playing.

Even though he was cleared to return to the game, he wasn't being rushed back by his coaches to start. Roy had been doing a good job as a game manager and there were a few brilliant moments from him, but for the most part, he wasn't quite ready to be a full time starter. They needed Barry back. He thought back to what Bruce had told him, about how you soon find out that the grass isn't always greener.

The team was in the hunt for the playoffs, they would be the last seed if they made it, and they needed a lot of help from other teams around the league to get there. Barry felt like if they really thought they had a chance, he would probably see the field again before the end of the season. There were only 3 games left anyways. He was glad the next game was a home one, because there was no way he was leaving Iris alone the first weekend that the twins came home. He would still have to go to the game obviously, but he would be in Central City and not on the road somewhere.

They had the twins packed up and ready to go. Iris had bought gifts for everyone on the unit as a thank you. She said teary goodbyes to her favorite nurses and made promises to send pictures and keep in touch. With each one of them carrying a baby, they braced themselves for taking their miracles out into the real world for the first time. 


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The twins are finally home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am nearing the end of this one, so you will probably see mostly fluff, not really a lot of conflict. There is mild smut in this one.

The first night home, Iris didn't sleep. It wasn't because the twins were being problematic. Donovan was a little fussy a few times throughout the night and Iris had a hard time getting Nora to latch on during a few feedings, but that wasn't what was keeping her awake. She spent most of the night rotating between the two of them, sitting in her rocking chair, humming to them and talking to them.

Barry could hear her on the baby monitor. He wanted to stay up with them too, but he had practice in the morning. He made it to about 3am before he tapped out and decided to get at least a few hours of sleep. The nurse was supposed to arrive at 7am, so she wouldn't be alone with them for too long. The sound of her voice and his babies coos were enough to get him to sleep.

When he woke up later that morning, Iris was in the shower and the nurse was taking care of the twins. He thought it the perfect opportunity to get some one on one time with his wife. He knew that these days he was going to need to take it wherever he could get it. He quietly crept into the bathroom and slide into the shower with her. She was startled at first, but relaxed into his touch.

"Good morning Daddy." She kissed him softly on the lips.

"Good morning Mommy." He kissed her back. "You know, this is a new shower, we haven't had a chance to...break it in yet," he kissed her some more.

"You're right. How about we work on that right now?" Iris kissed him harder. He took that as an invitation. He backed her up against the shower wall and lifted her legs around his waist. He entered her slowly as he kissed her sweetly on her lips and down her neck. She called out his name as he began with perfectly timed strokes. Once Iris started to move her hips to the same timing, it wasn't long for either of them. Iris smiled because she finally had her husband back.

They both headed downstairs and ate breakfast. Barry didn't want to go to practice, but Iris ushered him out of the door promising him he would be home soon and kissing him on the cheek. She went back to the nursery where she spent the rest of the morning.

Joe showed up around lunch time, happy to see his grand kids. He brought them both a stuffed toy. Every time he saw them, he brought them something. Iris chastised him for spoiling them already, but he just explained that was his job as a grandparent. Iris was grateful for him though. She finally was getting sleepy so she left him and the nanny to go get in a quick nap while she could.

She woke up several hours later to her phone going off. "Hello."

"Iris, this is J'onn. How are you doing?" Barry had since apologized for his inexcusable behavior. J'onn took it all in stride. Barry was honest with his reasons and J'onn understood and forgave him. There were no other problems after that.

Iris had not been back to the office since she had the seizure. They were completely understanding about the whole thing. They told her that she could come back whenever she was ready. Jennifer had taken the lead on a lot of the research and stuff needed for her story. Iris still had a lot of work to do, but she was thankful for Jennifer's help on the stuff that she could help with.

"I'm doing good J'onn. Real good. The twins are home now, so we are just adjusting."

"That is wonderful to hear. I just wanted to check in on you and make sure you guys didn't need anything."

"Well, I appreciate the call. I know that you told me to take all the time I need, but I was hoping to be back at work at least part time sometime in the beginning of the year."

"Iris, there is no need to rush, your job isn't going anywhere. I promise. You just take care of your babies. I hope to be able to meet them soon."

"I hope so too. Thanks J'onn." She felt so relieved that she didn't feel pressure to go back to work right away. She was glad to be able to spend all her time with her children.

Barry couldn't wait to get home that night and the first place he went was to the nursery. Of course Iris was already there. She was nursing Donnie while Nora was awake in her crib. He picked up his daughter and sat in the chaise next to Iris.

"Can you believe this is our life?" she asked him, "Did you ever think that you could be this happy?"

"Never in a million years." He got up and switched babies with Iris. "I'll take burping duty." He watched as Iris nursed Nora. He looked at the way Iris handled her with so much care. He didn't think he could be more in love with her at that very moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I plan on 2 more chapters and an epilogue, but they wont get posted until tomorrow.


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Twins first christmas

The twins had been home for a few weeks now and their first Christmas was fast approaching. Iris was in the holiday spirit and seemed to go a little bit overboard with the decorations. The entire outside of the house was lit up with tiny white Christmas lights. They even had several reindeer decorations on the lawn. When Barry saw her getting ready to put up one of those huge inflatable snow globes, he put his foot down. She thought it was funny. She just wanted the twins first Christmas to be special.

As expected, Barry had once again been named the starting QB. He had won the last game they played and If they were able to win the next game and a few other teams lost, they would just barely make it to the playoffs. He wanted to win and make it, just for redemption. But another part of him just wanted the season to be over so he didn't have to leave home all the time.

Iris was so understanding about the whole situation. She wanted him home too, but she understood that he had to work. She promised that her and the twins would be watching from home cheering daddy on. Joe and Wally would be at the game to support him.

When game day came, Iris had Linda, little TJ and Felicity come over to watch with her. Her and Linda had both been so busy with their new babies, they barely had time to talk on the phone let alone hang out. Felicity showed up with tons of gifts. She claimed it was because Iris never got to have her baby shower, but Iris thought she just had baby fever being around all these newborns, though Felicity would never admit it.

They all piled into the family room. Donnie was sleeping peacefully in his bassinet and Iris was nursing Nora when the game started. Iris could barely pay attention to the game. As soon as she finished up with Nora, Donnie woke up fussy. Felicity helped getting Nora down for a nap and Iris nursed her son. By the time she had Donnie all settled it was already halftime. She felt bad that she hadn't been watching. Linda was though, and gave her the halftime summary.

Barry was having a great game. He felt good being back out there. It had been a close game the whole way. They got to the last few minutes and Barry found himself in a familiar situation. They score, they win. He was easily driving the team down the field fairly easily. It was down to the last play for the Cougars. If he didn't score here, they would have to give the ball back to the opponent and there wouldn't be enough time to get the ball back in Barry's hands again. He dropped back to pass and found a wide open Scott in the corner of the end zone. The Cougars won the game. He wouldn't know until later that evening, after the last game of the week had been played, if they made it to the playoffs.

Barry celebrated the win with the team in the locker room and then made his way home. He just wanted to be with his family. When he got there, Linda and Felicity were leaving. He was happy to see that they had come to visit, but he just wanted the night to him, Iris and the twins.

They were asleep when he finally got settled. He lit the fireplace and he and Iris cuddled on the sofa together. They were having idle chatter, Barry was going on about the game and Iris was listening intently, trying not to fall asleep.

His phone ringing tore him from the conversation. It was Wells calling to let him know that they made it to the playoffs. They were the last seed which meant all games would be played on the road. Barry was happy that the team was in the post season, but he had a sinking feeling in his stomach knowing he would be away from his family. Iris reassured him that they would be fine and gave him a congratulations present right there on the sofa.

Christmas day arrived and they woke up to see that it had snowed overnight. Iris was happy that the twins first Christmas was a white one.Barry had gone overboard and bought them tons of stuff. It was even more, because he had to buy two of everything. They didn't bother wrapping them, but they did leave them under the tree. Joe, Wally and Jesse came over to celebrate the day. Iris still had use of a chef, but she gave them that day off to be with their family. Joe had planned on making them a feast anyways. He was excited to get to cook in a shiny new kitchen.

The twins actually stayed up most of the day. Donnie like always was a little fussy, but as soon as he was in Iris' arms, he always calmed, no matter what. Just like Nora was daddy's little girl, Donovan was a momma's boy. They both were finally starting to come in to their color. Donovan's complexion was closer to Barry's and he had his hair color and eyes, but he looked just like Iris and had her naturally curly hair. Nora was a little bit darker than her brother. She like Donnie had her father's eyes, but her hair was bone straight with Iris' darker hair color, and she looked just like Barry.

They enjoyed their day together as a family. Later in the evening, Oliver and Felicity came over. If Felicity was having baby fever, than Oliver was having it times ten. He picked up Nora when first got there and wouldn't let her go until Iris took her for a feeding. He even helped Barry put them down for bed.

Once everyone was gone and the house was quiet , Barry and Iris laid in their bed, just enjoying each others company. They were both utterly exhausted, but they knew it was worth it. They had their perfect family.

 


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the final chapter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for reading. I do have an epilogue after this chapter.

Barry had just returned home from National City on New Year's Day. They had lost their first playoff game. What made the loss even worse was he missed ringing in the new year with Iris. They were able to facetime at midnight, but he didn't get his kiss. He was able to get an earlier flight back to Central City. If they had won, he would have rode home with the guys, but his season was over and he was ready to spend all his time with his family.

Iris wasn't expecting him home so early, so she was pleasantly surprised we he woke her up with kisses to her neck. Neck kisses turned into lip kisses which was starting to turn into something else when she heard cries over the baby monitor. "Duty calls," Iris said as she started to get out of the bed. Barry stopped her, "I got it. Go back to sleep." He kissed her again and left for the nursery. Iris must have been tired because she quickly took him up on that offer.

Barry fed the twins with the bottles of breast milk that Iris had pumped. Once their bellies were full, they went right back to sleep. By the time Barry got them both back down, Iris was up and ready to start her day. She went into the kitchen to make a pot of coffee and saw Barry was already on it. She grabbed a yogurt out of the fridge and sat down at the island.

"I'm sorry you guys lost babe."

"It's okay Iris, I shouldn't say this but, I'm not. I was ready for the season to be over."

"You're just saying that. It's okay to be disappointed."

"I know. Ya know, it is funny though. A few months ago, I probably would have been in a near rage at losing in the first game. But now, I have more perspective on things."

"Yeah, like what?"

"Well for starters, there is nothing more important to me than you and them upstairs. Not money, not fame, not the game. Just you and them."

"We love you too babe. You're such a good father and husband, we are so lucky to have you."

Barry fixed Iris and himself a cup of coffee. "Did you want some breakfast?"

"Yeah I could eat," she answered as she took the coffee. Barry took out all the ingredients to make an omelette. "You know babe, I was thinking, since your season is over you will have more time to be at home. I know I shouldn't rush it, but I think I would like to start doing some work again. Not at the office quite yet, but maybe work from home."

"You sure you're ready for that?"

"I think so. I mean, I wouldn't be working all day, but maybe just a few hours a week. To start."

Barry had a thought, " Well we do have an empty room upstairs. How about we turn it into a home office. Cisco knows some great IT guys who could hook that up."

"Really babe?"

"What do you mean really? Of course, whatever you want Iris, you know I can't say no to you." Iris leaned over and kissed her husband. "Thank you babe, I love you."

 

And so that is how their lives really began. The twins were doing well at the last check up and developing just as they were supposed to. Neither of them seemed to have any long term effects and were starting to be at a very healthy weight. Nora maybe a bit closer since she had the appetite of her father.

Their favorite moment so far was when the twins were healthy enough to go out of the house. Barry and Iris took them to get professional pictures for the first time. They were in matching outfits and everyone in the studio was oohing and awing at how cute they were.

Then they started hitting important milestones like rolling over and crawling, trying to hold the bottle by themselves and even speaking to each other in their "twin speak". Iris and Barry couldn't believe how fast they were growing. At the baptism, Linda and Oliver were named god parents.

Late nights spent with two teething cranky babies. Running through boxes of diapers and laundry detergent weekly. Knowing every word to Baby Einstein songs. Posting updates every 20 minutes on Facebook. Stealing any moment you could with the love of your life. That was their life now, and they loved it.

When the twins first birthday rolled around, Barry and Iris decided to throw a big party. Iris was finally able to throw a shindig in their huge back yard with the big tree with the tire swing. It was a fall themed affair with a mini petting zoo, a clown and a bounce house. Barry thought she did too much, but that was Iris when it came to her children.

Iris had finally got the twins down after their long, sugar filled day. She came downstairs and joined her husband on the sofa. He was about sleep with ESPN playing on the TV in the background. He stirred awake and welcomed her to lay down in front of him while he spooned her.

"Can you believe we have one year olds?" she asked him.

"Yeah, it's crazy."

"And to think, at one time I didn't think I wanted this. That birth control recall was the best thing to ever happen to me."

"So meeting me was just whatever then?" he asked joking with her.

"Meeting you was aight," she joked back. She then turned so that she could look him in the eyes. "Barry, I couldn't imagine my life without you. I love you."

"I love you too." he started to kiss his wife. The kisses started soft and chaste, but were starting to get heavier when Iris stopped him.

"Did you hear that?" she sat up.

"Hear what?"

Iris jumped from the sofa and grabbed the babe monitor. She put it close to her ear when she heard it again. "DaDa...DaDa..."

"Did she just say Dada?" Barry asked, he had jumped up from the sofa too.

"Her first words." Iris exclaimed.

They both fought each other to get upstairs first. Barry eventually just picked Iris up bridal style and ran them up the stairs, with a purpose, laughing and teasing each other. When they reached the top of the stairs Barry put her down. She started towards the nursery when he grabbed her arm and pulled her back into a kiss. He let her go. As she walked away he thought about how they met and he knew, that was when their lives truly began.


	21. Epilogue

"Stop it mom!" he whined as his mother licked her thumb and wiped something off of the side of his face.

"Well don't you want to look your best?" she asked him.

"I guess so." he barely responded, instead turning his attention back to his Nintendo.

"Mommy, when are we going to get to see pop pop?" her daughter asked her.

"Soon baby, soon." She turned her attention back to the aisle. Her eyes lit up when she saw him. She stood up as he approached her. "Brother! I thought you would never get here." She jumped up and gave him a big hug. They were now living on different sides of the country and didn't get to see each other in person often. He patted his nephew on the head and lead his pregnant wife to sit on the other side of his sister.

The ceremony was set to begin soon. The place was packed. They were sitting about 5 rows back so they had a good view of the stage. When it finally started, several people got up to make speeches. The kids were getting a bit restless, finally the speaker who they came to see was up.

He was introduced by them listing off his accolades. 4 time championship winner, 2 time MVP, over 50,000 yards thrown and 400+ touchdowns made. He stepped up to the podium to make his speech. He was greeted by loud cheers. He wasn't too nervous, he practiced several times.

"This is a great honor to be inducted into the Hall of fame. I'm glad these 65 year old knees are still working enough to be able to walk up here. This is the ultimate achievement in this profession. This isn't something that is just given to you. You earn it, through hard work and perseverance, through blood, sweat and tears. You have to make sacrifices. You have to want it.

It wasn't any easy road for me. I had a tragic upbringing. I lost both of my parents at a young age. It broke me. It made me feel like I was nothing and I had nothing. When I got to college, I relied on football to make me feel something. And it did for a while. That was when I met my first mentor. He taught me more about the game than anyone else had or has since. He got me prepared for the draft and was the primary reason I was drafted so high.

Then I went pro. I never would have thought someone with my background would become a football star. I came in to this league thinking that I could act anyway that I wanted to because of talent. My first team taught me that was not the case. The best thing to happen to my career and life was getting traded to Central City. I met my best friend, and as much as I love you Oliver, I am not talking about you." The crowd erupted in laughter.

"I am talking about the love of my life. I thought I was really living until I met her. She taught me how to love, and what was important in life. And believe it or not, it wasn't this game. It was her and my children.

Her tenacity and resilience made her the best wife, mother, sister and journalist you could ever meet. She's won Pulitzer's and Emmy's, but she would tell you her greatest success was her family. When I fell into an addiction to pain killers, she was the one who stood strong and helped me become Barry again.

Some people may think that my happiest moment was winning my first championship or even my fourth. But that didn't come close to watching my wife hold our children for the first time. You see, she almost died giving birth to them. I highly doubt I would be standing up here if she had. She was the reason I had a successful career. I couldn't have done it with out her by my side. She raised our children while I was out on the road and made me a proud father when I dropped my twins off at Harvard. Thank god for all those endorsements, putting two kids through Harvard at the same time is not an easy task." Another bout of laughter from the audience.

"I don't have many regrets in life. I mean, I've done a lot of really stupid things in my lifetime, but I don't regret many of them." he paused trying to get through this next part. "I regret that I am up here accepting this honor, and the person who should be receiving this with me isn't here to. My wife Iris West-Allen passed away 5 years ago," he started to get choked up, "and even til the end she was the strongest person that I knew. She helped me get through her illness when I should have been helping her get through it. Even her last words to me were words for my comfort. So I stand here today to accept this induction for me and my wife. Thank you all."

The crowd stood and cheered. Barry shook hands with his fellow inductees that were on the stage and stood next to his bust to take a photo. When they ceremony was over, he met up with his son Donovan and daughter Nora. His 5 year old granddaughter ran to him, "Pop pop!" He picked her up and spun her into a hug.

"Great speech Dad," Donnie congratulated him.

"Yeah, mom would have loved it." Nora added.

"I think so too. You guys ready to go to the dinner?" Barry put his granddaughter down.

"You know how I feel about food Dad, let's go already." Nora joked. They all laughed and headed towards the door. Barry was always happiest around his family. He knew Iris was looking down on them and would always make sure they would be okay.


	22. Thank You

I just want to say thank you to everyone who has been invested in the series. I never thought I would ever be able to pull something like this off, but your comments and kudos really helped get this done. I never had too much confidence in writing, but you all have made me feel differently about it, so thank you. I hope I was able to do our beloved Barry and Iris justice.

I don't plan on doing any more long stories from this universe, however, I am entertaining the idea of writing drabbles about the characters if I get inspired. These would not be limited to just Barry and Iris stories, but any character that appeared in any of the stories. It may also be from any period in the timeline.

I also will more than likely write a lot of AU's because those are my favorite. As always, if you have and questions, comments or requests you can leave them on my tumblr @katieb161

Thank you all again!  
xx


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